It is clear we want to win the title and we will fight until the derby because I think that game will decide our season

Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini

Mancini has kept believing in his stumbling Manchester City side, even though glaring cracks started to appear several weeks ago.

But there is only so much faith one man can have before realism takes over and even someone as stubborn as Mancini knows the destiny of the Premier League title could be done and dusted by the weekend.

Before the Blues next kick a ball in anger at Arsenal on Sunday, Mancini’s men could find themselves eight points behind Manchester United.

This might not be the case, but considering the champions’ next two games are against Blackburn and QPR, there is a strong chance Mancini’s worst fears will come true.

He will not give up while there is hope, but the look on his face as he saw another two points squandered against Sunderland spoke volumes for what now appears to be a bleak scenario. He reckons United will draw at Ewood Park tonight, but the phrase ‘clutching at straws’ sprang to mind.

Mancini said: “United will draw. Do you want to bet with me? Even if they win, there are another seven games. I think this, it is my opinion. But if we go eight points behind, then it is finished. This is normal. But now we have 71 points, 12 or 13 points ahead of Arsenal and 15 points more than Chelsea. I think we have improved from last season.

“It is clear we want to win the title and we will fight until the derby because I think that game will decide our season.

“I think it is important that we improve every year. We have 71 points with seven games left and I think we should continue to believe in ourselves at this moment because we will have time for the other things.

“Now we are in a difficult moment, but football can change in two or three games.

“I had an experience in Italy when Inter Milan were five points behind with five games to go and yet we still won the title. Football is crazy, like this game was.”

Nothing is ever straightforward with the Blues, both on and off the pitch, but the billionaires are now starting to resemble one of the most expensive pantomimes ever put on stage.

For 80 minutes Mancini’s men were awful and deserved nothing from a game in which Sunderland were tremendous in all departments.

Two goals from Sebastian Larsson and a fine header from Nicklas Bendtner, all set up by Stephane Sessegnon, put the Black Cats into a commanding lead, despite Mario Balotelli converting a first-half penalty that should never have been given.

Somehow the Blues summoned the spirit to snatch a draw thanks to goals in the last six minutes from Balotelli and Aleksandar Kolarov.

But it still felt like a defeat and those fans who feared Mancini had packed his dressing room with too many egos are now being proved right.

Mancini might have World Cup and Champions League winners in his ranks, but, as a team, the Blues have won nothing more than an FA Cup.

The spirit, togetherness and belief to land the big one, the title, is just not there and Mancini must know that his side look mentally fragile now the going has got tough.

Balotelli was involved in a humiliating spat with Kolarov over who was taking a second half free- kick, which epitomised all that is wrong at the Etihad Stadium.

It was akin to two kids rowing in the playground. Even fans who have made Balotelli a cult figure turned on him and news that he then had a dressing- room fight with Yaya Toure afterwards increased the despair.

Toure spent most of the game moaning at referee Phil Dowd, while Edin Dzeko was involved in a clash with Phil Bardsley after the Black Cats defender accused the striker of diving to win the spot-kick, which he did.

Mancini himself could be seen rowing with James Milner before hooking the England star and blanking him as he trudged off to sit in the dug-out with a face like thunder.

A farcical afternoon was capped off when Mancini insisted Samir Nasri had not featured for family reasons, only for the French ace to reveal on Twitter he was injured.

The Italian coach admitted his side were flat and also admitted he couldn’t explain it.

He insists the Blues have made progress, and this is true, but the definition of progress to the club’s billionaire Abu Dhabi owners is becoming champions.

Failing to win the title could well cost Mancini his job, but things are going so pear shaped for him that he might well make the decision for his bosses if he decides he’s had enough.

He added: “I don’t know (what we are lacking) but we were really flat in the first half. I don’t think a strong team like us can produce a performance like we did for 70 minutes.

“This was really strange. But some players played really bad.”

Sunderland boss Martin O’Neill will spend a long time wondering how his side didn’t win.

Michael Turner, Lee Cattermole and Sessegnon were outstanding. Even Bendtner looked like a true Premier League striker.

O’Neill said: “I’m genuinely disappointed we didn’t win. We’re leading 3-1 in the game and we deserved to be 3-1 up.

“I thought the team was excellent. Performances all over the pitch were good.

“You need really good performances here, otherwise you’ll get turned over and with seven minutes to go, we looked in reasonable command of the game.”